Historical Events
Springsteen and E Street Band's World Tour
Feb 1 Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band kick off their world tour at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida
Francis Holds Mass in Kinshasa
Feb 1 Pope Francis celebrates mass with around 1 million people in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, his second largest gathering [1]
Ozzy Osbourne Cancels Tour
Feb 1 Rock singer Ozzy Osbourne announces cancellation of upcoming concerts and his retirement from touring via social media due to health issues
- Feb 3 Coldest wind chill likely ever recorded in the US of minus 108 degrees, taken at Mount Washington Observatory, New Hampshire [1]
- Feb 3 Train carrying toxic chemicals including vinyl chloride, derails in East Palestine, Ohio, starting a fire and leading to an intentional burn off of chemicals to stop a possible explosion [1]
- Feb 4 Chinese surveillance balloon shot down by US fighter jets off the US eastern seaboard, after drifting across the US for days and igniting a political storm [1]
- Feb 4 NHL All Star Game, Sunrise, Florida: Atlantic beats Central, 7-5 in four-team, 3-on-3 tournament; MVP: Matthew Tkachuk LW/RW Florida Panthers
65th Grammy Awards
Feb 5 65th Grammy Awards: Best Album Harry Styles "Harry’s House”, Best Record Lizzo "About Damn Time", Best Song Bonnie Raitt “Just Like That”, Beyoncé breaks record for most wins with her 32nd Grammy [1]
- Feb 5 NFL Pro Bowl Games, Las Vegas, Nevada: NFC beats AFC, 35-33 in new format; skills competitions & 3 x non-contact 7-on-7 flag football games rather than actual tackle football game
- Feb 6 Powerful earthquakes strike Turkey and Syria, first 7.8 magnitude at 4.15am 23 kilometers east of Nurdagi, second 7.5 magnitude at 1:24pm with many strong aftershocks causing buildings to collapse. Death toll 59,000 in Turkey, 8,000 Syria [1]
LeBron Breaks Kareem's Record
Feb 7 LeBron James scores 38 points to become NBA's all-time leading scorer as the Lakers go down 133-130 to Oklahoma City Thunder in Los Angeles; surpasses Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 38,387 career points [1]
- Feb 7 UK Metropolitan police officer David Carrick jailed for life for 85 serious offences including 48 rapes over 17 years, amid calls for a radical overhaul of the police service [1]
Electricity Crisis
Feb 9 South African President Cyril Ramaphosa declares "a national state of disaster" to respond to the country's electricity crisis amid daily blackouts
Super Bowl LVII
Feb 12 Super Bowl LVII, State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona: Kansas City Chiefs beat Philadelphia Eagles, 38-35; MVP: Patrick Mahomes, KC, QB
Nikki Haley Runs for President
Feb 14 Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley announces she is running for US President, the first to challenge Donald Trump for the Republican party nomination [1]
- Feb 14 New Zealand declares a national state of emergency after Cyclone Gabrielle causes widespread flooding and devastation across the North Island [1]
Pharrell Threads the Needle
Feb 14 Rapper and musician Pharrell Williams appointed menswear designer for Louis Vuitton [1]
Album Release
Feb 15 Jason Mraz releases the single "I Feel Like Dancing" from his upcoming album "Mystical Magical Rhythmical Radical Ride"
- Feb 15 Joel Embiid scores his 10,000th career point in a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers
- Feb 15 Scientists warn the Thwaites Glacier, the so-called "Doomsday Glacier" and the size of Florida, is weakening threatening a global sea level rise of 1.6 meters [1]
- Feb 15 Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon resigns after eight years in office, the longest-serving First Minister and the first woman [1]
- Feb 16 WWII: US Naval History and Heritage Command confirms identity of the wreck USS Albacore, a submarine lost in 1944, discovered by University of Tokyo sonar team in 2022 off of Hokkaidō, Japan
- Feb 17 Global LGBT festival WorldPride opens in Sydney, Australia, its first time in the Southern Hemisphere [1]
African Union Summit
Feb 18 Global financial system is "dysfunctional and unfair" and is "failing developing countries" according to UN Secretary General António Guterres at opening of African Union leaders' summit in Ethiopia [1]
- Feb 19 65th Daytona 500: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. wins for JTG Daugherty Racing in double overtime and under caution over a record 212 laps; former NBA player Brad Daugherty first Black car owner to win the race
BAFTA Awards
Feb 19 76th BAFTA awards: Best Film "All Quiet on the Western Front", Best Director Edward Berger, acting awards Cate Blanchett, Austin Butler [1]
- Feb 19 Brazilian state of Sao Paulo hit by flooding and landslides after heavy rain, with at least 44 killed and 800 homeless [1]
- Feb 19 Türkiye ends rescue efforts in all but Kahramanmaras and Hatay, two weeks after the devastating earthquakes that stuck in the south-east and in northern Syria, killing between 59,488–62,013 people and leaving an estimated 1.5 million people homeless [1]
- Feb 19 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, visiting the earthquake-affected regions of southern Turkey, pledges $100 million in aid [1]
- Feb 20 6.4 magnitude earthquake, followed by 5.8 magnitude aftershock strikes near city of Antakya, Turkey, on the Syria border, killing at least six people in same region devastated by earthquakes 6 Feb [1]
- Feb 20 US President Joe Biden makes a surprise visit to Kyiv, Ukraine [1]
- Feb 21 US President Joe Biden vows unwavering support for Ukraine in a speech from Warsaw Castle, Poland, a day after he made a surprise trip to Ukraine [1]
- Feb 22 Astronomers reveal Webb telescope data is upending existing theories of how early galaxies were formed, after finding six massive galaxies 100x larger than expected soon after the Big Bang [1]
Weinstein Sentenced
Feb 23 Former Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 16 years in prison for rape in Los Angeles, on top of the 23 years he is already serving for sex crimes [1]
- Feb 24 Puffin, publisher of author Roald Dhal, announces it will now print his books with their original unaltered text alongside those with offensive language removed, after widespread criticism and debate [1]
- Feb 25 Turkey widens probe into buildings that collapsed during the Feb 6 earthquakes arresting 184 people, as the death toll passes 44,128 (including Syria, more than 50,000), with nearly two million people left homeless [1]
- Feb 26 At least 59 migrants are killed after a boat breaks up in rough seas off the eastern coast of Calabria, Italy, with 80 survivors [1]
- Feb 26 Dilbert comic strip creator Scott Adams faces widespread condemnation for his comments about African Americans in a YouTube show, prompting his strip and up-coming book to be cancelled [1]
- Feb 26 ICC Women's Cricket T20 World Cup, Cape Town: Defending champions Australia score a 19-run victory over South Africa to win their sixth title; Player of the series: Australian all-rounder Ash Gardner
- Feb 26 Large rallies in Mexico cities (organizers estimate 500,000) protest cuts to the National Electoral Institute (INE), seen as undermining electoral neutrality [1]
- Feb 26 One of the most violent incidents of revenge by mobs of Israeli settlers, who burn 200 buildings in Palestinian villages and kill at least one person after a Palestinian gunman kills two Israeli in the northern West Bank [1]
- Feb 26 Winter storm deposits snow in parts of southern California for the first time in decades, down to 1,000 feet elevation, with snow accumulations up to 7 feet deep in San Bernardino Mountains [1]
Northern Ireland Brexit Deal
Feb 27 New post-Brexit deal for Northern Ireland announced by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen [1]
FBI Claims Wuhan Lab Leak Likely
Feb 28 FBI Director Christopher Wray confirms the bureau believes COVID-19 pandemic likely originated from a lab accident in Wuhan, China [1]
Famous Deaths
- Feb 1 Joanne Bracker, American college basketball coach (Midland University 1970-2012; Women's Basketball HOF), dies at 77
- Feb 2 Jean-Pierre Jabouille, French auto racer (55 x F1 GP, 2 wins; 4 x 3rd overall 24 Hours of Le Mans), dies at 80
- Feb 2 Robert Orben, American comedy writer, magician, and speechwriter for US Vice President Gerald Ford, dies at 95
- Feb 3 Paco Rabanne [Francisco Cuervo], Spanish fashion designer and perfumer, dies at 88
Pervez Musharraf (1943-2023)
Feb 5 Pakistani general and politician, 10th President of Pakistan (2001-2008), dies at 79
- Feb 5 Phil Spalding, English new wave and progressive rock bass player (Tovah; GTR; Mike Oldfield), and hepatitis patient support group founder, dies at 65
- Feb 6 Billy Thomson, Scottish soccer goalkeeper (7 caps; St Mirren 206 games, Dundee United), dies at 64
- Feb 6 Greta Andersen, Danish swimmer (Olympic gold 100m freestyle, silver 4×100m freestyle 1948), dies at 95
- Feb 6 John Moeti, South African soccer midfielder (29 caps; Orlando Pirates FC, SuperSport United FC), dies at 55
- Feb 7 František Cipro, Czech soccer forward (SK Slavia Prague 232 games) and manager (SK Slavia Prague, SK Dynamo České Budějovice), dies at 75
- Feb 7 Friedel Lutz, German soccer full-back (12 caps West Germany; Eintracht Frankfurt e.V.), dies at 84
- Feb 7 Oleksandr Radchenko, Ukrainian soccer left-back (17 caps; FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk), dies at 46
Burt Bacharach (1928-2023)
Feb 8 American Grammy and Academy Award-winning composer ("I'll Never Fall in Love Again"; "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head"; "Promises, Promises"), dies at 94 [1]
- Feb 8 Charlie Faulkner, Welsh rugby union prop (19 Tests Wales; British & Irish Lions 1977; Pontypool RFC, Barbarian FC) and coach (Newport RFC), dies at 81
- Feb 8 Hilary Tann, Welsh composer (Shakkei), and educator (Union College, 1980-2023), dies at 75
- Feb 8 Miroslav Blažević, Bosnian soccer manager (Switzerland, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, NK Zagreb, Hajduk Split, Grasshoppers, Dinamo Zagreb, Nantes, PAOK), dies at 87
- Feb 9 Lewis Spratlan, American classical composer and Pulitzer Prize winner (Life Is A Dream), dies at 82
- Feb 9 Marcos Alonso, Spanish soccer winger (22 caps; Atlético Madrid, FC Barcelona) and manager (Rayo Vallecano, Racing Santander, Sevilla, Atlético Madrid, Valladolid), dies from cancer at 63
- Feb 10 Carlos Saura, Spanish film director ("Cría Cuervos"; "Carmen", "Tango"), dies at 91
- Feb 10 Hugh Hudson, English film director (Chariots of Fire), dies at 86 [1]
- Feb 11 Hans Modrow, German politician (last Communist Prime Minister of East Germany 1989-90), dies at 95
- Feb 12 Eileen Sheridan, English cyclist (record road cyclist - Land’s End-John O’Groats time stood for 36 years), dies at 99 [1]
- Feb 12 Trugoy the Dove [David Jolicoeur], American rapper and producer (De La Soul - "Me Myself and I"), dies of heart failure at 54
- Feb 13 Conrad Dobler, American football guard (Pro Bowl 1975, 76, 77; St. Louis Cardinals; famous for unsportsmanlike play), dies at 72
- Feb 13 Huey "Piano" Smith, American R&B pianist ("Rockin' Pneumonia & Boogie Woogie Flu"; "Having a Good Time"), dies at 89 [1]
- Feb 14 Charley Ferguson, American football tight end (AFL All-Star 1965; AFL C'ship 1964, 65; Buffalo Bills), dies at 83
- Feb 14 Friedrich Cerha, Austrian composer (Baal) and conductor (Ensemble Die Reihe), dies at 96
- Feb 14 Greg McMackin, American football coach (Oregon Institute of Technology 1986-89; University of Hawaii 2008-11), dies at 77
- Feb 14 Jerry Jarrett, American pro wrestling promoter (founder Continental Wrestling Association, US Wrestling Association, NWA:TNA), dies of cancer at 80
- Feb 14 John M. Veitch, American thoroughbred horse trainer (Breeders' Cup Classic 1985 [Proud Truth]; Alydar; National Museum of Racing HOF), dies at 77
- Feb 15 Paul Berg, American biochemist (development of recombinant DNA techniques, Nobel Chemistry 1980), dies at 96
Raquel Welch (1940-2023)
Feb 15 American stage and screen (Myra Breckenridge; One Million Years B.C.; 100 Rifles), and nightclub singer, dies at 82 [1] [2]
- Feb 16 Chuck Jackson, American pop and R&B singer ("Any Day Now"; "I Don't Want to Cry"; "I Keep Forgettin'"), dies at 85
- Feb 16 Tim McCarver, American baseball catcher (World Series 1964, 67; MLB All-Star 1966, 67 St. Louis Cardinals) and broadcaster (NY Mets, ABC, CBS, FOX), dies of heart failure at 81 [1]
- Feb 17 (Harry Gilbert) Gil Trythall, American pianist, contemporary classical and electronic music composer (The Pastimes of Lord Chaitanya), and educator, dies at 92
- Feb 17 John Holdsworth, English rugby league referee (2 x Challenge Cup Finals; record 6 x Premiership Finals; first World Club Challenge 1987: Wigan beat Manly 8-2), dies at 76
- Feb 17 Stella Stevens [Estella Eggleston], American actress (Girls! Girls! Girls!; The Nutty Professor; Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows), dies of Alzheimer's disease at 84 [1]
- Feb 18 Ahmet Suat Özyazıcı, Turkish soccer manager (4xTurkish Super League; 3xTurkish Cup Trabzonspor) and midfielder (3 caps; İdmanocağı, Trabzonspor), dies at 87
- Feb 18 Barbara Bosson, American actress (Hill Street Blues - "Fay Furillo"; Hooperman; Murder One), dies at 83
- Feb 18 George T. Miller, Scottish-Australian film and television director (The Man from Snowy River; Zeus and Roxanne), dies at 79
- Feb 18 Ilario Castagner, Italian soccer manager (Perugia, Lazio, AC Milan, Internazionale, Ascoli) and striker (Perugia, AC Prato), dies at 82
- Feb 18 James Broyhill, American politician (Sen-R-NC, 1963-1986), dies at 95
- Feb 18 Petar Zhekov, Bulgarian soccer forward (44 caps; Beroe Stara Zagora, CSKA Sofia), dies at 78
- Feb 18 Peter Wolfenden, New Zealand harness racing driver/trainer (NZ drivers' premiership x 14; Inter Dominion Pacing C' ship x 2; NZ Trotting Cup x 4; Australasian Drivers C'ship x 2), dies at 88
- Feb 18 Tom Whitlock, American Academy Award-winning lyricist songwriter (“Take My Breath Away”, “Danger Zone”), dies at 68
- Feb 19 Dickie Davies, English TV presenter (ITV's World of Sport), dies at 93 [1]
- Feb 19 Greg Foster, American athlete (3 x World C'ship gold 110m hurdles; Olympic silver 1984), dies from amyloidosis at 64
- Feb 19 Jansen Panettiere, American actor (How High 2), dies of aortic valve complications due to cardiomegaly (enlarged heart) at 28
Richard Belzer (1944-2023)
Feb 19 American comedian, actor (Homicide: Life on the Street; Law & Order: SVU - both shows "Det. John Munch") and author (How To Be A Stand-Up; UFOs, JFK, and Elvis: Conspiracies You Don’t Have to Be Crazy to Believe), dies at 78 [1]
- Feb 20 Ken Warby, Australian motorboat racer (water speed record 275.97 knots [511.10 km/h; 317.58 mph 1978]), dies at 83
- Feb 21 Amancio Amaro, Spanish soccer outside right (42 caps; Deportivo de La Coruña, Real Madrid), dies at 83
- Feb 21 Nadja Tiller, Austrian actress (Ich suche Dich, Rosemary), and beauty queen (Miss Austria, 1949), dies at 93
- Feb 22 Elaine Barkin (née Radoff), American composer, educator, music writer and editor (Perspectives of New Music, 1964-85), dies at 90
- Feb 23 John Motson, British football broadcaster (10 x FIFA World Cups; 10 x UEFA European C'ships; 29 x FA Cup finals; BBC, Talksport), dies at 77
- Feb 23 Tom Tierney, Irish rugby union scrum-half (8 Tests; Munster, Connacht, Leicester) and coach (Ireland women), dies at 46
- Feb 24 Bernard Ingham, British journalist and press secretary for UK PM Margaret Thatcher, dies at 90 [1]
- Feb 24 Jack Sheedy, Australian Football HOF rover (WA 22 games; East Fremantle, East Perth) and coach (WA 10 games; East Fremantle, East Perth), dies at 96
- Feb 24 Maurizio Costanzo, Italian television journalist (Maurizio Costanzo Show), dies at 84
- Feb 25 Fred Miller, American football defensive tackle (Super Bowl 1970 Baltimore Colts; Pro Bowl 1967, 68, 69), dies at 82
- Feb 25 Gordon Pinsent, Canadian actor, director and writer (voice of "Babar the Elephant"), dies at 92
- Feb 25 Syd Fischer, Australian yachtsman (Fastnet Race 1971, World C'hip One Ton Cup 1971, Round State Race Hawaii 1980; 2 x Sydney-Hobart Line honours), dies at 95
- Feb 26 Alberto Mario González, Argentine soccer forward (19 caps; Unión Española Santiago, CA Boca Juniors, Atlanta Buenos Aires), dies at 81
- Feb 26 Betty Boothroyd, English politician (1st female Speaker of the UK House of Commons 1992-2000), dies at 93 [1]
- Feb 26 Bob Richards, American athlete (Olympic gold pole vault 1952, 56; bronze 1948), dies at 97
- Feb 26 Fred Shabel, American basketball coach (Connecticut Huskies 1963-67) and executive (AD University of Pennsylvania 1967-75; Comcast Spectacor), dies at 90
- Feb 26 Terry Holland, American college basketball coach (Davidson, Virginia) and athletics administrator (Davidson, Virginia, East Carolina), dies at 80
- Feb 26 Tony O'Donoghue, Irish sports broadcaster (Raidió Teilifís Éireann - RTÉ), dies at 86
- Feb 26 Ziya Şengül, Turkish soccer defender (20 caps; Fenerbahçe SK, PTT Ankara), dies from organ failure at 82
- Feb 27 Ricou Browning, American film stuntman (Creature from the Black Lagoon), stunt co-ordinator (Thunderball), director, and producer (Flipper), dies at 93 [1]
- Feb 28 Brian O'Brien, Irish rugby union centre (3 Tests; Munster RFC) and selector (Ireland, British & Irish Lions), dies at 83
- Feb 28 Grant Turner, New Zealand soccer midfielder (42 caps; SC Stop Out, Gisborne City AFC), dies from cancer at 64
Year of the Rabbit
Year of the Dragon
Year of the Snake
Year of the Horse
Year of the Goat/Sheep
Year of the Monkey